Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it; but if he did anything so that he may do it no more.A hasty quarrel kindles fire,and urgent strife sheds blood.If you blow on a spark, it will glow;if you spit on it, it will be put out; and both come out of your mouth

Thanks for posting. Pravoslavie and OCL are good for this issue. Disappointingly, the petition did not mention Orthodox in the Holy Land. Interestingly Orthodox in most countries listed + the Holy Land are all deeply and negatively impacted by US foreign policy,

Logged

The ocean, infinite to men, and the worlds beyond it, are directed by the same ordinances of the Lord. ~ I Clement 20

Question a friend, perhaps he did not do it; but if he did anything so that he may do it no more.A hasty quarrel kindles fire,and urgent strife sheds blood.If you blow on a spark, it will glow;if you spit on it, it will be put out; and both come out of your mouth

Duplicate of someone else's thread for the petition for Christians of the Middle East. Sorry, I didn't realize there was already one.

I hope that the Administrators, (who have already approved that thread) do not mind me posting the direct link to the petition for easier access.

I have sent it around to everyone I know. I am shocked by the apathy, and see that if it continues, there is no way that a few hundred (at most) signatures a day will help reach the goal (25,000) which they need by January 6th.

This is the direct link, as the previous thread did not provide it directly:

WOW, I have to say that I am shocked, because I have sent this around privately--this petition mentions the plight of the Ecumenical Patriarch and a quick look at the names who signed shows very few Greek Orthodox sounding persons!

This petition is never going to make it to the President at the present rate of apathy. What do you think goes?

Is there some hidden ecclesiastical or otherwise political reason that clergy and faithful are not signing that I am not aware of??

Please enlighten me. I don't see this as a Republican vs. Democrat thing, but a matter of attention to our suffering and dwindling Christians around the world. Am I wrong? I look forward to any thoughts.

A message by Metropolitan Methodios to all faithful to support HALC’s initiativeDecember 29, 2012 By Greek News Leave a Comment

Dear Friends,

As we celebrate the joy of the Nativity of our Lord, I draw your attention to this urgent petition on Religious Freedom for Christians in the Middle East.

The Hellenic American Leadership Council (HALC) has launched an online White House petition urging President Obama to “Stand up for the rights of endangered Christian minorities around the world this Christmas season.” The petition can be found at www.hellenicleaders.com/freedom. According to WhiteHouse.gov rules, if the petition reaches the 25,000 signatures threshold, the White House has to issue a formal written response.

The petition (www.hellenicleaders.com/freedom) places issues that the Greek American community and the Orthodox Church have long advocated – especially the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – in a broader context. The petition language explains that:

Christians in the greater Middle East face extinction in their homelands. In Syria’s civil war, Christians who make up 10% of the population are targeted. Christians in Egypt (12% of that population) suffer social persecution and political exclusion. Christians in Iraq (1% of that population) face daily threats and violence. In Turkey, the number of Christians has plummeted to less than .1% due to systematic rights violations, including the oppression of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. In occupied Cyprus, the Turkish military has essentially snuffed out Christianity to around 400 survivors. The administration should act now to protect the rights of these groups by calling on countries in the greater Middle East to protect religious freedom, especially that of their Christian minorities.

I urge all Orthodox Christians in our Metropolis to sign the petition to the White House to take active measures to support religious freedom for Christians in the greater Middle East.

It is is our responsibility as Orthodox Christians to support the universal human right of religious freedom. What more appropriate way to act on our responsibility than by voicing our support for our brothers and sisters in Christ during this season.